On Thursday 09 October I reported that a server issue had been resolved. However, overnight a new problem surfaced. This has now been fixed too.
So what was the fault?
[Technical description!] The new problem was already there in the Apache2 configuration, but was previously hidden. While I had limited the number of active and spare tasks, I had not limited the number of clients. This has now been added and normal operations have been restored.
When I reported the original issue I promised that all of my ebook downloads would be discounted, and I always to keep my promises, so until 17Oct2025 there will be a 10% discount on all PDF ebook downloads from this site.
See the Book Table page and search for books with “PDF” in their names.
On Monday 29 September I reported a server issue to you on LinkedIn, Twitter/X and Mastodon. I can now report that my server restarted successfully this morning, and not showing any signs of the problem it had.
So what was the fault?
[Technical description!] I use Docker to run individual server containers on my physical server, which are each restarted on a daily basis using a *.yml control file. Over the last weekend in September one of those *.yml files had become corrupted, and the retries parameter, which had previous been “5”, became “5?????” (where ? was a non-printable character). The retries parameter tells the container how many tasks can be generated at a time, which had been 5, but after the corruption became undefined. This resulted in too many tasks, and more than the server could run, being created. The non-printable characters have now been removed, and normal operations have been restored.
When I reported the issue I promised that all of my ebook downloads would be discounted, and I always to keep my promises, so for the next 7 days (ending on 17Oct2025) there will be a 10% discount on all ebook downloads from this site.
See the Book Table page and search for books with “PDF” in their names.
I am retired now, so my course notes are less likely to be sold to course attendees. Therefore it makes sense to reduce all of my PDF course note ebooks on Lulu.com to GBP 5.50, and downloads from this site to GBP 5.00:
I always advocate that learning SAS programming requires practice, practice, practice! The SAS Institute provide free, but limited, SAS programming access for training purposes only via SAS On-Demand for Academics. On the other hand, Altair provide free and full SAS programming access for all purposes (including commercial use, but excluding command line and remote access) via the Personal Edition of Altair SLC.
2nd Edition ebook versions of my 2024 books, “SAS Programming Experiences” and “Altair SLC”, have been published today on Lulu.com and my blog site. Paperback versions will be published shortly on Lulu.com and for global distribution (including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc.).
The Second Edition of each book now includes information about both the 2024 and 2025 releases of Altair SLC.
Did you download the First Edition ebook from my blog site? If you did, then please find your confirmation email for that ebook, because the download link will now download the Second Edition at no extra cost!!
To me retirement only means not earning a salary from my SAS programming, which will, from now on, become a pure hobby. I will also be concentrating on programming using Altair Analytics Workbench and Altair SLC, rather than using SAS Software.
However, there are still ways for everyone to get SAS Value from my 40+ years of SAS programming:
No.1 = 1/2 day SAS training, including digital training materials, for GBP 1,800
No.5 = 1 ebook copy of course notes to one of my SAS courses from around GBP 11
My SAS course notes are published as ebooks on Lulu.com, who, unlike Amazon, etc., do not take massive commissions, so I receive most of the published price.
More books and ebooks about Altair SLC are currently being developed.
No.9 = 1 copy of one of my SAS softback books from a reseller from around GBP 25
Although these options appear to be lower in the list than expected, I receive very little from softback books sold, because I received an advance when they were published.
More books about Altair SLC are currently being developed.
No.10 = 1 copy of one of my SAS ebooks from a reseller from around GBP 3
Although these options appear to be lower in the list than expected, I receive very little from ebooks sold by resellers, because I received an advance when they were published.
Yes, I am retiring from paid contracts on 31Mar2025, and my company (Holland Numerics Ltd) will be closed in a few months time.
However, retiring will never be as stressful as the blog server downtime (now resolved!) I experienced this weekend! I have been trying to create a “low maintenance” environment for my blog and ancillary activities, and I want to leave my blog members and clients still able to:
As Programmer and Recruiter members you can post programming questions (including interview questions) in the paid-for SAS Programming Forum, which includes the SAS course.
You can ask single, or subscribe monthly for unlimited, commercially-sensitive questions in the paid-for Premium SAS help desk service.
All this will continue, but will be supported by just myself, and not my company, after my retirement.
I am researching for 3 new Altair SLC books to add to my recently published book about Altair SLC. They will look into a range of aspects and programming using full licences, unlike my previous book that concentrated on the free Community Edition (now called the Personal Edition), and also more advanced aspects available in the Personal Edition, but not included in my previous book, such as Workflows, clinical data analysis and ODBC database connections.
What information would you like to read more about in the new books?
I have already been trying out the Communicate and Link features of Altair SLC, and hope to extend this to the Hub very soon.
Altair SLC: The SAS Language Compiler (paperback) – Second Edition
The book concentrates on Altair SLC, looking at the pros and cons of using Altair SLC to develop SAS programs. Code samples are provided throughout this book, so you can learn more about Altair SLC and SAS programming by following these examples.
Topics included:
What is Altair SLC?
Introduction to Altair Analytics Workbench
Altair SLC for Clinical Trials
Generating Graphics with Altair SLC
Using Altair SLC with R and Python
Download for free the SAS programs in this book from here.
The book concentrates on Altair SLC, looking at the pros and cons of using Altair SLC to develop SAS programs. Code samples are provided throughout this book, so you can learn more about Altair SLC and SAS programming by following these examples.
Topics included:
Phil has used SAS on all of the platforms, mainframe, UNIX, and Windows. If Mac was a platform, Phil would take you as reader there, too. He takes you to Altair SLC, R, and Python, where you can be a user of the SAS language, and those two ever more popular adjuncts to SAS, without the expense of a SAS licence, and clarifies the differences between SAS Software and Altair SLC. The book includes a graphics capabilities tour with the various tools in its scope. Nowhere else available is the chapter devoted to Altair SLC for Clinical Trials, which is like a book-guided Hands-On Workshop self-help get-acquainted tutorial. The book will take you to places that nobody else would take you. Explore it and explore SAS.
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the page above are "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
Altair SLC: The SAS Language Compiler (PDF) – Second Edition
The book concentrates on Altair SLC, looking at the pros and cons of using Altair SLC to develop SAS programs. Code samples are provided throughout this book, so you can learn more about Altair SLC and SAS programming by following these examples.
Topics included:
What is Altair SLC?
Introduction to Altair Analytics Workbench
Altair SLC for Clinical Trials
Generating Graphics with Altair SLC
Using Altair SLC with R and Python
Download for free the SAS programs in this book from here.
The book concentrates on Altair SLC, looking at the pros and cons of using Altair SLC to develop SAS programs. Code samples are provided throughout this book, so you can learn more about Altair SLC and SAS programming by following these examples.
Topics included:
What is Altair SLC?
Introduction to Altair Analytics Workbench
Altair SLC for Clinical Trials
Generating Graphics with Altair SLC
Using Altair SLC with R and Python
Download for free the SAS programs in this book from here.
Phil has used SAS on all of the platforms, mainframe, UNIX, and Windows. If Mac was a platform, Phil would take you as reader there, too. He takes you to Altair SLC, R, and Python, where you can be a user of the SAS language, and those two ever more popular adjuncts to SAS, without the expense of a SAS licence, and clarifies the differences between SAS Software and Altair SLC. The book includes a graphics capabilities tour with the various tools in its scope. Nowhere else available is the chapter devoted to Altair SLC for Clinical Trials, which is like a book-guided Hands-On Workshop self-help get-acquainted tutorial. The book will take you to places that nobody else would take you. Explore it and explore SAS.
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the page above are "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
Nobody, and I mean nobody, replied in time to my celebration post with suggestions for discounted prices for my “SAS Programming Experiences” and “Altair SLC” ebooks, so I will not be able to reduce their prices in September.
However, I will reduce my ebook prices for 3 days in October instead!
From 2-4 October 2024 the ebook download prices will be reduced, and downloading these ebooks from this site will also allow you to freely download them again when a new edition is published:
The discounted prices will be the median of the first 25 different prices you post in GBP, but there can be no duplicates and no prices less than the specified minimum values!! Those that reply correctly will be informed about which 3 days in September will have these prices, but, if there are less than 25 replies, no prices will be changed. After these 3 days the prices will return to the Lulu and download prices below.
Posts must be made on this blog site, and not in LinkedIn, X or Mastodon, and you will need to have registered for Free membership, and logged onto the blog, to post your price!
To me retirement only means not earning a salary from my SAS programming, which will, from now, become a pure hobby. However, to program in SAS AND to be able to get access to all of its components, including Enterprise Guide, batch processing, and the Program Editor, the SAS licence has to be paid for. For me this would amount to paying around GBP 3,000 a year, and so I have drawn up a list of ways that you can contribute to that total, but at the same time benefit from my 40+ years of SAS programming, and 30+ years as an independent SAS consultant, working in the banking, insurance, IT, pharmaceutical, HR and marketing business sectors, and on IBM mainframe, OS/2, VAX, Unix, Windows and Linux.
Any excess income will be used to extend my SAS licence into the following year. I’m planning to use this income from April 2025, so we now have a few months to raise sufficient funds.
-193Days remaining-12Hours-37Minutes-9Seconds
The following are grouped into group¹ (for companies or collaborating individuals) and individual² options:
For Companies or Collaborating Individuals¹:
No.1 = 1/2 day SAS training, including digital training materials, for GBP 1,800
No.6 = 1 ebook copy of course notes to one of my SAS courses from GBP 11
My SAS course notes are published as ebooks on Lulu.com, who, unlike Amazon, etc., do not take massive commissions, so I receive most of the published price.
No.10 = 1 copy of one of my SAS softback books from a reseller from GBP 25
Although these options appear to be lower in the list than expected, I receive very little from softback books sold, because I received an advance when they were published.
No.11 = 1 copy of one of my SAS ebooks from a reseller from GBP 3
Although these options appear to be lower in the list than expected, I receive very little from ebooks sold by resellers, because I received an advance when they were published.
How can you see all of my SAS-related books? I’ve now added a 2nd way to see them. Either go to SAS books or the new Book Table. Please tell me which you prefer.
